Yazawa: That means you-

Levi: I don’t fear it.

Announcer: And the winner is Levi! The next round is Sugima from Vector vs. Hiro from Elune!

--- Chapter 124 ---

Hiro: Hey, I’m gonna use everything I got now.

Sugima: Ok? Why are you telling me?

Hiro: I thought it would be nice to warn my opponent.

Sugima: How courteous.

Announcer: Begin!

Hiro summons his katana and angles it, holding it with both hands. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath in, breathing out through his teeth.

Hiro: Two-handed sword style, piercing strike!

Hiro moves forward at inhuman speeds, reaching him in under a second. Right as he is about to stab through Sugima, Sugima is thrown to the right using his arcana. Sugima re-orients himself.

Sugima: Holy shit, that was close. He is fast, and he knows sword techniques, who could have taught him those.

Back in the time of the war against god, and the race wars, not all humans had arcanas. In fact, more didn’t have them than those who did. To make up for this lack of power the humans developed sword techniques, pushing their bodies beyond what humans were thought possible. These techniques or sword styles have been taught generation after generation, usually kept within families or clans.

Hiro plants his feet and turns to face his opponent.

Sugima: How do you know a sword style.

Hiro: I was taught it by the man who stands at the top of sword fighting. Master Aibek.

Sugima’s eyes go wide at the name, whispers spread throughout the crowd.

Sugima: Aibek, as in the famous sword saint?! The man without any arcana, or any magical power for that power who can rival that of a saint?!

Hiro: The very same.

Sugima: If this guy is serious, this will be a difficult fight. Aibek is the man who stands at the pinnacle of pure man. In his youth, he tracked down the various families and clans that have a lineage of sword styles and bested them in combat. Before doing so, he would make a bet. If he won, they would have to teach him their style. According to rumor, he knows… no, mastered every single style known to man. He is so highly respected amongst swordsmen that they gave him the title “Sword saint”. That title has only been given to 7 people in history. I may have to resort to using my visual techniques.

Hiro lifts his blade, removing one hand, and summoning a second blade. He places the blades close to each other, the tips crossed.

Hiro: Dual wield style! Hundred slashes!

Bursting forward with power, he goes to stab forward. Sugima opens up his eyes wide, his left eye begins to glow green as a one-inch thick hexagon shape barrier is created of transparent glowing green energy. The blades stab into this, causing it to crack slightly. He begins to pull and drag the blades apart before his body moves at insane speeds creating one hundred slashes on the barrier. It cracks and shatters into dust. Hiro lets go of the right blade, and as it begins falling-

Hiro: Unconventional style! Pommel-Heel Stab!

His body moves with unbridled speed as he flips forward, slamming his heel into the blades pommel, causing it to move forward with force stabbing right into him. He lands on his butt on the ground. He flips his grip on the sword in his left hand.

Hiro: Back-handed style! Crescent!

He arcs the blade from his left to the right, aiming for his ankles. He sees this causing small barriers to form, guarding as he jumps away. Hiro gets back on his feet, reaches forward, and the blade inside Sugima glows, and forms into almost a liquid, returning to his hand before forming back into a blade.

Sugima: How have you mastered so many sword styles!

Hiro: Aw, I’m glad you think that. But I haven’t mastered any of them. I just know a few here and there from different styles.

He lifts his weapons and begins running in. He brings both his weapons out to the left and right respect.

Hiro: Beast Style! Hippo’s jaw!

He brings the weapons inward with unparalleled force. He creates two thick barriers on either side of him. As the blades make contact, Sugima has a smug face. But, the barriers begin to crack, and he jumps back in fear as they shatter. With Hiro’s arms crossed, he runs in.

Hiro: Dual wield style! X strike!

He brings the blades up in an X toward his chest. He creates a barrier that shatters. As they both land, Hiro angles his right blade in.

Hiro: Beast style! Viper Strike!

And he almost teleports in to stab, but he creates a barrier just in time, the blade slides into it but doesn't pierce him. Hiro lets go and grabs the guard. He twists with all his might, causing the barrier to break. He glides his hand down to the grip and slashes in with only his right blade.

Hiro: Beast style! Snakebite!

He slices, he creates a barrier but it’s slashed in half and broken. Sugima takes a breath of relief, but he sees Hiro twist the blade, and bring it back for the second half of snakebite. He creates another barrier, and upon impact, they stare for a few moments.

Hiro: Your eye is pretty nifty.

Sugima: Thanks, I wish I could show you my arcana, but you got me on the defensive.

Hiro: Heh, yeah. Let’s see how long your defense can last. Unconventional Style! Diversion attack!

Sugima braces for his next attack, but Hiro just stands there in that same stance. Then Sugima realizes something.

Sugima: The second blade-!

He quickly looks up at it spinning as it falls toward him.

Sugima: He must have thrown it during that flurry of attacks!

Sugima creates a barrier, but it stabs into it and slides through stabbing him in the shoulder. Hiro quickly spins, his black blade begins to shimmer.

Hiro: Light style! Blinding strike!

As he swings, it suddenly bursts with blinding light. Sugima attempts to make a barrier in front of him, but he gets slashed. He feels the blade leave his shoulder and blinks away the light. He sees the blades start to have a wind circle around them.

Hiro: Wind style! Gale fury!

He begins to slash the air, but blades made of wind are created. He creates a thick barrier. The wind blades continuously pelt it, causing cracks to form but nothing serious. Hiro brings the swords to his sides.

Hiro: Guess I’m gonna have to use my ace in the hole. You were good. But not good enough. SATARO STYLE! ETERNAL BLADE!

The seals on his hand begin to glow brightly. The blades get enveloped in a green aura. He looks at his opponent. Fear in Sugima’s eyes. He creates several barriers between the two. His eye begins to bleed. Hiro runs in, slashing through these barriers like butter. He gets to the last barrier that’s much bigger, stabbing both katanas into it. It vaporizes into nothing. Hiro runs in to attack, he sees Sugima’s eyes glow in desperation.

Sugima: Perfect defense! Aibaria!

A massive amount of the hexagon barriers are created, all connected forming a half-circle around him. He begins slashing it repeatedly, he sees the panel he is hitting almost get pushed in, and vibrating the others. He lifts his right blade back.

Hiro: One-man army style. Detrimental Lunge!

He stabs it forward, multiple katanas made of green energy form and stab into it. It pushes this panel back, and the other hexagons all shift and gravitate towards this central point of power. They are all layered up and morph together. He puts all the force he has and shatters Aibaria. He runs in, brings the blade back, and stabs it toward him, the aura swirls with power. His eye is gushing blood, and with one last burst of blood, he uses his strongest barrier.

Sugima: KAN! ZEN! GUARD!

Creating a thin but glowing bright barrier. He stabs into it, and it’s almost as if all his force was nullified. As if he only lightly tapped the barrier. The aura calms, and the barrier disappears. Hiro’s body is heavily exhausted, the styles taking a heavy toll on his body. Despite not taking damage, he is looking almost as rough as his opponent.

Hiro: Fool you once, shame on me. Fool you twice, well, that’s on you hehe.

Sugima looks at him in confusion before he realizes it. Once again, he is missing a blade. Sugima looks up and goes to create a barrier, but is only met with pain and blood as it stabs into him. Sugima collapses and Hiro takes a knee.

Announcer: And the winner is Hiro! Last up, we have Cari from Elune vs. Leo from Academy.